The proposal to transform the areas
surrounding Medellin´s Civic Center comprises 132 hectares of land
that has a very close relationship to the Medellin River. Public
space interventions connect these areas with the river, which will
become a linear park in the future. Public space also organizes and
facilitates better connections within the urban fabric, which is
currently fragmented by wide vehicular road arteries.

The site´s relationship with the
river and its natural topography create an opportunity to integrate
water management techniques into the configuration of public
spaces. Streets have bioswales along the edges to capture rainwater
and filter it and reduce its volume before entering public drainage
systems that end in the river. They also increase the water´s
travel time, reducing the risk of flash flooding. Rainwater is
collected at various points and utilized for landscape
irrigation.

The areas surrounding the Civic
Center toward the north east and south are considered apt for a
denser city model, 250 people per hectare, with mixed use buildings
that have commercial areas on the ground level and housing for up
to 20.000 persons above. This creates a more compact urban model
that promotes pedestrian circulation, the use of public
transportation and diminishes the cost of infrastructure per
capita.